the chignecto isthmus and its first settlers-第39章

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as　not　for　seven　years。　For　a　part　of　this　time　the　family　had　charge　of　a　toll　bridge　near　Newcastle。　The　following　incident　is　declared　to　have　actually　occurred　while　they　were　keeping　the　toll　bridge。　A　large　man；　riding　a　very　small　donkey；　one　day　came　up　to　the　bridge　and　asked　the　amount　of　the　toll。　The　charge　was　more　than　he　felt　inclined　to　pay；　so　he　asked　what　would　it　be　for　a　man　with　a　load。　Finding　that　it　was　considerably　less　he　at　once　laid　down　the　smaller　sum；　picked　up　the　donkey　in　his　arms；　and　walked　over　the　bridge。　From　Halifax　Mr。　Colpitts　and　the　two　oldest　boys　made　their　way　overland；　walking　the　most　of　the　way　from　there　to　Moncton；　while　the　others　came　in　a　vessel　soon　afterwards。　When　they　reached　Coverdale　the　land　he　had　improved　had　been　pre…empted；　and　Mr。　Colpitts　had　to　push　on。　He　settled　at　Little　River；　five　miles　from　its　mouth。〃

The　writer；　after　giving　a　fuller　account　of　the　family；　says：　〃It　is；　we　freely　confess；　the　history　of　a　race　of　humble　farmers；　and　such；　for　the　most　part；　have　been　their　descendants；　no　one　of　the　name　has　yet　occupied　a　prominent　place　in　the　public　life　of　our　country。　But　the　name　has　always　been　an　honorable　one；　and　those　who　have　borne　it　have　been；　with　few　exceptions；　honest；　God…fearing；　God…honoring　men　and　women。〃

Mr。　James　Colpitts；　of　Point　de　Bute；　is　a　great…grandson　of　Mr。　Robert　Colpitts。

MONRO。

Alexander　Monro　was　born　in　Banff；　Scotland。　His　father；　John　Monro；　and　family　came　from　Aberdeen　to　Miramichi；　New　Brunswick；　in　1815。　He　remained　in　Miramichi　three　years　and　then　moved　to　Bay　Verte。　The　next　move　was　to　Mount　Whatley；　and；　after　a　few　years　stay　there；　Mr。　Monro　purchased　a　wilderness　lot　on　Bay　Verte　Road；　to　which　they　removed；　and　after　years　of　strenuous　labor　made　for　themselves　a　comfortable　home。

It　was　from　Mr。　Robert　King；　school　masterreferred　to　in　another　part　of　this　bookthat　the　son；　Alexander　Monro；　received　the　inspiration　and　training　that　started　him　on　the　road　to　success　in　life。　His　biographer　says：　〃When　he　was　twenty…one　years　of　age　a　Mr。　Robert　King　came　into　the　district　to　take　charge　of　the　school；　and　under　his　care　young　Monro　studied　in　the　winter　evenings　geometry；　algebra　and　land　surveying。　Mr。　King　possessed　a　surveying　compass；　and　gave　him　practical　instruction　in　land　surveying；　leading　him　to　decide　to　follow　that　business。

Mr。　Monro　obtained　a　recommendation　from　Dr。　Smith；　of　Fort　Cumberland；　and　others；　and　in　the　year　1837　went　to　Fredericton　to　obtain　an　appointment　from　the　Hon。　Thomas　Baillie；　then　Surveyor…General　of　the　Province。　Mr。　Baillie　complimented　him　on　his　attainments；　but　refused　to　appoint　him　to　the　office。　When　Mr。　Monro　got　back　to　St。　John　he　had　but　two　shillings　in　his　pocket；　and　with　this　meagre　sum　he　started　on　foot　for　home。　Before　he　had　gone　far　he　found　a　job　of　masonry　work　and　earned　fifteen　shillings。　With　this　money　he　returned　to　St。　John；　and　purchased　Gibson's　〃Land　Surveying〃　and　some　cakes　for　lunch；　and　set　out　again　for　Westmoreland。　On　the　way　he　worked　a　day　at　digging　potatoes；　for　which　he　received　two　shillings；　and　later　on　built　a　chimney　and　was　paid　two　pounds。

The　next　year　Mr。　Monro　received　the　appointment　of　Deputy　Crown　Land　Surveyor。　In　1848　he　was　made　a　Justice　of　the　Peace；　and　was　the　surveyor　to　run　the　boundary　line　between　Nova　Scotia　and　New　Brunswick。　He　was　the　author　of　a　number　of　works；　one　on　Land　Surveying；　also　one　on　the　〃History；　Geography　and　Productions　of　New　Brunswick；　Nova　Scotia　and　Prince　Edward　Island。〃　For　a　number　of　years　he　edited　an　educational　monthly　magazine　called　the　PARISH　SCHOOL　ADVOCATE。　His　biographer　adds：　〃Such　is　the　life　and　labors　of　one　of　our　foremost　and　most　useful　citizens；　and　if　there　is　a　moral　to　be　read　from　it；　it　is　this；　that　to　make　a　man　of　cultured　tastes；　a　student；　a　scholar　and　a　publicist　of　acknowledged　rank　and　value　in　the　country；　universities　with　their　libraries　and　endowments　are　not　absolutely　necessary；　social　position；　influential　connection　and　wealth　are　not　necessary。　Without　such　adventitious　aids；　what　is　wanted　is　a　native　taste　for　research　and　inquiry；　and　a　determination　of　character　superior　to　environment。〃

PALMERKNAPP。

The　Palmers　and　Knapps　were　Loyalists。　C。　E。　Knapp；　a　grandson　of　Loyalist　Knapp；　writes：　〃The　largest　part　of　Staten　Island；　New　York；　should　have　been　the　possession　of　the　Palmers　of　Westmoreland。　Their　ancestor；　John　Palmer；　who　was　by　profession　a　lawyer；　moved　from　New　York　to　Staten　Island。　He　had　been　appointed　one　of　the　first　judges　of　the　New　York　Court　of　Oyer　and　Terminer。　He　was　also　a　member　of　the　Governor's　Council；　and　afterwards　Sheriff。　When　the　Revolutionary　War　broke　out　his　son　Gideon　held　the　commission　of　captain　in　Delancy's　Rangers；　and　when　the　war　terminated　he；　in　common　with　the　other　Loyalists；　had　to　leave　the　country。〃

Together　with　his　brother…in…arms；　Titus　Knapp；　John　Palmer　found　a　new　home　at　Old　Fort　Cumberland；　where　they　commenced　business　as　general　traders。　They　purchased　adjoining　farms；　and　these　still　go　by　the　name　of　the　〃Knapp　and　Palmer　farms。〃　Mr。　Palmer　afterwards　moved　to　Dorchester　Cape；　induced　to　do　so　because　it　reminded　him　of　his　old　home　in　New　York。　Palmer　and　Knapp　must　have　found　their　loyalty　expensive；　as　their　confiscated　property　is　now　worth　untold　millions。　In　Mr。　Knapp's　case　it　was　not　so　bad；　as　his　property　went　to　his　half…brother；　who；　fortunately　for　him；　was　a　Quaker　and　did　not　〃fight。〃

The　Palmers　have　taken　a　prominent　place　in　the　history　of　New　Brunswick。　Mr。　Gideon　Palmer；　a　son　of　Gideon　（first）；　was　one　of　the　successful　shipbuilders　of　Dorchester　in　the　fifties；　and　Philip；　another　son；　was　for　some　years　a　member　of　the　New　Brunswick　Legislature。　The　late　Judge　Palmer；　of　St。　John；　was　a　son　of　Philip　Palmer。

Charles　E。　Knapp；　barrister；　of　Dorchester；　is　clerk　of　the　Probate　Courty；　and　one　of　the　oldest　practising　lawyers　of　Westmoreland。　Mr。　Titus　Knapp　represented　the　county　for　some　time　in　the　Legislature　of　New　Brunswick；　and　for　many　years　did　a　large　trading　business　at　Westmoreland　Point。

HARPER。

Christopher　Harper　was　born　in　a　small　village　near　Hull；　in　Yorkshire。　He　emigrated　to　Nova　Scotia　in　1774；　bringing　his　family　and　his　nephew；　Thomas　King；　with　him。　He　arrived　at　Fort　Cumberland　on　a　fine　day　in　May；　and　his　surprise　was　great　the　next　morning　to　see　the　ground　covered　with　snow。　Mr。　Harper　bought　a　property　to　the　south…　east　of　the　garrison　lands；　and　moved　his　family　into　a　house　said　to　have　been　built　by　the　Acadians；　but　this　is　very　doubtful；　as　these　people　chose　to　burn　their　dwellings　rather　than　let　them　fall　into　the　hands　of　the　English。　Tradition　says　Mr。　Harper　brought　stock；　both　horses　and　cattle；　with　him　from　Yorkshire。

In　1777　Mr。　Harper's　house　and　barn　were　burned　by　the　Eddy　rebels；　and　soon　after　the　Loyalists　came　to　Nova　Scota　he　sold　his　property　at　the　fort　to　his　son…in…law；　Gideon　Palmer；　and　moved　to　Sackville；　having　purchased　land　near　Morris's　Mills。　It　is　said　he　came　into　possession　of　this　property　through　prosecuting　one　Ayer　and　others　for　setting　fire　to　his　buildings　at　Fort　Cumberland。　In　1809　he　obtained　a　grant　from　the　Government　at　Fredericton　of　the　mill…pond；　and　some　two　hundred　or　three　hundred　acres　of　wilderness　land　in　Sackville；　including　about　forty　acres　of　marsh　on　the　east　side　of　the　Tantramar　River；　above　Coles's　Island。

Mr。　Harper　had　three　sons　and　four　daughters。　His　son　Christopher；　who　was　a　captain　in　the　army　in　early　life；　left　for　Quebec；　via　Richibucto　and　Miramichi；　and　was　not　heard　from　after　leaving　Miramichi。　John　married　Miss　Thornton　（whose　father　was　a　Loyalist）；　and　after　living　at　the　mill　for　a　time　moved　to　Dorchester。　William　married　Phoebe　Haliday；　from　Cobequid；　and　built　on　the　place　where　I。　C。　Harper；　of　Sackville；　now　lives；　Catherine　married　Gideon　Palmer；　Annie　married　Major　Richard　Wilson；　a　north　of　Ireland　man；　Fannie　married　Thomas　King；　and　Charlotte　married　Bedford　Boultonhouse。

Christopher　Harper　owned　the　first　two…wheeled　chaise　that　was　run　in　Westmoreland　County。　He　was　a